Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-30
THE UTE OUTBREAK.
Official Report of Gen. Crook on the Re-
cent Indian Troubles i'm Colorado.


Official Report of GEN. Crook on the Re-
cent Indian Troubles in Colorado.
HOW THE ROW BEGrN-sw1NDL1NG THE RED MEN,
THEN ATTEMPTING TO ARREST THEM AND FIRING
ON THEM-CoLoRows oFFER-AN ASSURANCE GIVEN
TO HIM DIsREGARDED-AN UNEXPECTED ATTACK By
THE WHITES ON HIS CAMP.
The Secretary Of the Interior has received.
through the War Department. a report from Brig.
adler General Geo. Crook, commanding department
OF the Platte on the recent Ute Indian troubles tn
Garfield County, Colorado
The report shows that the troubles arose from
attempts made by Colorado officials to serve war.
rants on certain Ute Indians for alleged stealing
horses and Tor violations of the state game laws.
The report states that it is the custom of certain
men living IN Garfield County to buy horses of the
Indians and then regain possession OF the money
by playing "Monte," or some other gambling
game. The horses alleged to have been stolen
were either bought from the Indians or won in
TINS ,ncona way. y, Wmle stouty protesting their
the parties two other horses in lieu Of those which
they had been obliged to surrender to the alleged
rightlul owners Warrants were, however, issued
IOr Cne arreSt OF Two OF the Indians for horse
stealing and Tor twelve others for violations OF the
game Laws; laws of this last onense, the report says
Warden Barpett to hn guilty
Issued, with posse of seventeen men. went to the
camp on the North Fork OF White River, and
without attempting to explain his object OF
mission,
SUDDENLY SEIZED SEVERAL OF THE INDIANS,
VINO Droke away and ran for the cover OF the bush.
Al TINS 1uncture the posse fired, woundlng three
united forces with s6erin Kendall who held war
rants for the arrest OF the two Indians for horse
stealing: Hearing OF an Indian camp On Coal
creek, hendali sent party to 1t. On approach
Ing tae camp the sqqaws and children who occu-
Piea IL nurr1edly left, leaving their tepees and
burned. A few days later Colorow sent an
urgent message to two prominent citizens
OF o., Nj Meeker eE, II IN whom he had confidence.
tlemen went to Colorow's camp and found the
Indians greatly alarmed by these attacks, and
asked Wnat II meant and why they were made.
against whom the warrants were issued, but said
ne would leave the country as soon as possible.
He required fifteen days for this purpose, as he
had TO gather In his herds OF horses and sheep and
drive them 10 the reservation, which was over one
hundred miles distant. He would be obliged to
wounded.
BAD FAITH OF THE WHITES.
About August II Kendall returned to Meeker
and reinforced his posse to about nifty men and
again started out disregarding the assurance that
had been given Colorow that he would be allowed
the hfteen days in Which to reach the reservation
only wanted time in which to gather reinforce
mentS. On the 22d a force OF Colorado militia ar
rived at Meeker with orders to assist Sheriff Ken
dali In the execution OF his processes. On the
same day the sheriff requested the commanding
officer at Meeker to send a hundred men down the
White River to the Blue Mountains for the purpose
their reservation. The troops were dispatched as
requested and were joined on the oath by
Kendall and his posse, now numbering about
with son OF Coorow in which 1t was agreed
that matters should remain as they were until
the big White Chief" should arrive. By this
Vnd % nn6O fnN6 hat Inv.
would be allowed to continue their march un-
moleSted to their reservation During heavy
storm ha ot ram IN ana nan which came on during
ABOUT twenty-five miles to point, as they be-
ileved on the Uncompagre reservation and went
INTO M camp, turning out their ponies to Craze on
suit and
STRUCK THE INDIAN CAMP
as they were preparing breakfast. They had be-
ieyed themselves perfectly secure; NO sentines or
runners were on The watch, and the whites at
tained position on the bluffs without alarming
the Indians. KendallS party at once opened fire.
The surprise was complete. The Indians returned
the fire from the bush, to which they had re-
treated. for about three and a-half hours, thus
women and children. Later In the day they fell
pack, anu the whites soon after withdrew to
Rangley, or 10 miles distant. In this affair the
whites lost in killed lieutenant OF militia and a
deputy sheriff.. Another man who attempted TO
run of small band OF Indirn ponies was shot
and killed soon after the fight. Several others
were wounded. The Indians lost one small boy
Killed; one buck and one squaw were wounded.
TWO HUNDRED AGAINST TWENTY-FIVE.
me whites numbered one hundred and eighty
men; the Indians not more than twenty five fight
Ing men. The whites justify their attack on the
ground that the Indians broke faith with them In
leaving their camp. The Indians were finally In
duced by Lieut.. Burnett (whO had arrived on the
scene, accompanied by about one hundred and fifty
superbly armed and mounted warriors from the
Ouray agency, and who became wildly excited
when they heard OF the invasion Of their
territory, and urged him to go with them to learn
tne cause OF the trouble) to go TO the agency.
their Stock which had been seized. When the trou-
bles began they had between 800 and 400 horses
and about z, 800 head OF sheep and goats. or the
troops. Many more were taken by Kendall and
his posse. From the outset, continues the report
WIN Dlt one slghI interruption, the Indians were
pursued inceSSantly, and
IN EVERY CASE THE WHITES WE'RE THE AGGREssoR,
and fired first. ColOrow had no desire to fight and
made use OF his weapons in self-defense, only for
the protection OF his women and children and his
herds. During the whole time including the fight
OF August 2oth, five Indians died OF wounds, one
buck, two boys and two small girls Seven others
were wounded, one, perhaps, fatally. 1t was ex-
tremely fortunate, says the report, that Lieut..
Burnett arrived upon the scene OF action as he
d1d, as there can be no doubt that his presence
saved the lives OF Kendalls entire party and pre-
vented a serious outbreak. The report says that
been served without difficulty had their service
been properly undertaken. Up to September Ii
all OF the STOCK lost by the IndianS-125 horses
have been returned to Them This number in
cluded the 75 taken for the use of the state. The
report concludes by calling attention to the highly
meritortous conduct OF Lieut. Burnett.
ONE YEAR MINUS A DAY IN JAn.-On the 18th
Of March last party OF boys at the corner OF
2Sth ana Gay Streets West Washington, when
ThomaS B0uldin, colored, came along, and saying
he could whip any three niggers on the hill drew
knife and made lunges at Sandy Taylor and at
Amos Brown, who got away. Bouldin then ran to
his house on the square below, and getting load
ed pistol he fired at Brown, who ran to Jerry
Hicks and wife for protection and thence to DonO-
Bould1n was then dtSarmed. He left the city, but
a few days ago he returned and made an assault
on his grandmother. He was arrested by Offlcers
Lyddane and Hawkins and this morning on being
arraigned in the Police Court he pleaded guilty
and was sentenced to one year In Jail minus day.
ASSAULT CASES IN THE POLICE COURT-In the
Police Court this morning "Colonel" Branson, a
cOlOred man, was charged with having yesterday
morning assaulted Charles johnson, a colored boy,
with pitch1ork. cutting his head. fine of S.
was imposed. Michael Flynn, an ofhcer Of the
sixth precinct was charged with an assault on
james BrOSnan on Tuesday night last. 1t was In
testimony that BrOsnan went to the station and
asked for Omcer Hagan, and while there Of1cers
Flynn and Gordon came in with prisoner and the
accused put him out. Officer Flynn testified that
he requested the prosecuting witness to leave and
he put him out. The case was dismissed. Kate
White was charged with an assault On Warren
Riggs and the latter with an assault on Kate
White. Riggs testified that at his house yester-